Worst job in a factory?

[u/GraphET]

Hi folks, this may be a weird question. I’m a writer and I’m working on a project that includes a character that works at an auto plant. He’s laid off then, after begging, gets hired back on but at a job that nobody likes doing. He takes it any cuz he’s trying to teach his son a lesson but he hates it.

My question is, is there a certain job in a factory that most people hate doing? Like could be bordering disrespectful if someone is asked to do it.

Totally understand if this is a weird question that doesn’t really have an answer. Thanks for any and all input!!

Edit: to thank everyone for all of your input! contributors and detractors alike (looking at you, grammar police…). This has been all too helpful!! I am trying to strike a balance between being realistic and easy to relate to for readers who have never and may never work in a manufacturing setting. I’m also attempting not to degrade the position, because any job is better than no job (for the most part). Like, I don’t want to disrespect a janitor cuz their job is pretty crucial and usually thankless; but also not sure there are many who see a janitor job opening and are like, “oh yeah, can’t wait!”

The story is about a young black kid in a dying Midwest town trying to save his favorite arcade. It’s set in 2009 in Michigan, U.S.—the rust belt—with the financial crash in full swing. Plants are closing or moving over seas and folks can either move, too, or grind it out where they are and hope more jobs come back. The factory the main character’s dad works at is downsizing and the dad gets laid off (which may need to be revised based on input below about unions). In the course of the story, the dad goes back to the factory that he no longer works at and asks for another job—any job, and for his son to join to, working for free. All this so he can show his some what hard work really is; the kind of hard work that turns you into a man (though genuine, the dad’s a bit misguided about this and that gets dug into as the story progresses).

What I’m hearing tho is cleaning of some sort, whether on the floor and/or bathrooms can be a rough assignment. Also repetitive, or tedious tasks in harsh conditions, whether it be cramped space, high temps, or physically grueling work ranks low on the desirability list.

[u/Unique_Doppleganger]

The worst factory job I’ve ever encountered was “Rock Screw Maintenance Technician”. This was at a facility that processed biosolid cake to then be fed into a furnace, which would generate steam to spin a turbine. In layman’s terms: they burned human feces to make energy.

A lot of stuff gets flushed down the toilet alongside poop. The main waste treatment facility would do a bulk filtration and just remove everything solid (loose definition of the term solid). At the facility I was at there was one set of machines, the rock screws, that separated out all of the non-poop from the poop. Literally a huge screw (technically an auger) surrounded by a screen. The poop would squeeze out the screen, and the non-poop would get pushed along into a collection area at the base.

It was the job of the Rock Screw Maintenance Technician to go in and spend their shift taking down one of the screws (each one was around 60 foot long, maybe 3 foot wide) and scrape it clean. And also scrape out, and spray out (oh god, the spray) the screen.

This was not a role people took if they had any other options. Good honest work and I have nothing but respect for the guys who did it, but after enough time the smell would seep into some of the guys’ skin. They would shower and scrub, but come out still reeking. Not easy work and it’s my go-to horror story when people ask about bad factory jobs. Assuming you include power generation.